


Yellow Wood

by FlamingKookie



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Pirates, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-02 20:34:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19449037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingKookie/pseuds/FlamingKookie
Summary: Jeongin runs away from home to become a pirate thanks to the alluring charisma of Captain Chan.





	1. Stormy Weather

The wind whipped at young Jeongin hair. At just seventeen years old he was the youngest on the Yellow Wood, though not by much. Seungmin wasn’t even a year older but that didn’t matter. When you were the youngest, you were the runt; and being the runt meant scrubbing the deck. Hats weren’t a good idea since the wind could so easily sweep them away so he protected the back of his neck from the brutal sun by wrapping his bandanna around it. It had been a few weeks since they’d left port at Miroh, his mind fresh with the thoughts of adventure and riches. But he quickly learned the hard way that the stories he’d heard were only about a single glorious moment. He hadn’t heard about the endless hours of scrubbing the deck with a holystone with salt water and sand. He was at least thankful that Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Felix had to do it with him. His body ached from the relentless work and despite his best attempts to shield himself from the sun he went to bed the first week certain that he’d caught a fever. But he was almost a month on and his skin had darkened and only occasional burns. But whenever he had thoughts of regretting his choice to run from home and join the crew, all he had to do was see Captain Chan to reinvigorate his determination.

Captain Chan epitomized what Jeongin fantasized about when he was stuck at home. A man who lived the life he wanted and didn’t care what anyone had to say about it. Jeongin had been raised by a well off family with plans to see him become a lawyer like his father. He first saw Chan when he snuck out at night and ventured into the town. He had cloaked himself with old clothes and stripping his fingers of their golden rings and was walking past the brothel when there was a shout of protest and two bodies crashed out from the door of the brothel and scuffled just a few feet in front of him. One of the men, a larger man with a bald head and fluffy mustache, seemed to have the upper hand until there was a sharp strike to his jaw that seemed to stun him. The man beneath him quickly heaved the mustached man off of him and mounted him to begin raining heavy blows to his face. The second man’s hair was unlike any Jeongin had seen on a man with obvious dyes used to shift his black hair, evident from an inch of dark in the roots, to a much lighter flaxen color. Any attempts the mustached man made to protect himself vanished when the first strike landed to his nose and his arms fell to his side, allowing the man with flaxen hair to punch him four more times. With the fourth strike, the man with flaxen hair ceased to see the mustached man had gone unconscious. Jeongin was frozen with a mixture of fear, awe, and admiration when the man with flaxen hair looked up to him and gave a breathy grin.

“What?” asked the man with flaxen hair as he got to his feet. He wore the dark brown pants and black boots of the time but his billowy white undershirt was spotted with blood and torn from the neckline to navel, exposing his chest and stomach muscles. His ears were littered with earrings of various metals and he had a red sash around his waist along with a belt of leather. It wasn’t until the man with flaxen hair snapped at Jeongin that he remembered he’d been asked a question.

“Oh…” It was all he could managed as he looked to the man with the mustache. “Will he…be alright?” The man with flaxen hair shrugged and wiped the blood from his puffed lower lip.

“Don’t really care.” Out of the doors came a woman, bare from the waist up. The sight of her bouncing breasts made Jeongin’s face flare red and he would have turned if given the chance to recover but it didn’t seem like Jeongin would be getting any that evening. “Maggie, let’s talk-,” the man with flaxen hair started before a tankard of red wine was tossed in his face. The woman turned on her heels and slammed the brothel door shut behind her, muting the laughter and music from within. Unsure of what to do, Jeongin just stood there and watched as the man with flaxen hair shook his head and wiped his eyes before he gave a firm kick to the mustached man’s side. It earned a subconscious wheeze from the mustached man and the man with flaxen hair knelt next to him to begin rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out a leather purse, heavy with coin, and pocketed it before he got back to his feet. The window opened and a coat, pair of pistols, and a cutlass were tossed out before the windows slammed shut once more. The man with flaxen hair sighed and picked up his apparent belongings and put them on. It was then he seemed to realize that Jeongin was still there. “You like the show?” he asked, his previous aggressive tone gone and replaced with some attempted humor.

“Y-you did well.” Jeongin wanted to kick himself but the man with flaxen hair just laughed, his eyes lighting up with his smile.

“I need a drink and some company. You coming?” Whatever it was that drew Jeongin to the man with flaxen hair, he didn’t know, but by the time the sun rose and they both were thoroughly drunk, Jeongin knew he wanted to see the world with him. The next day he found out about Chan’s small gig as a pirate and admitted he had some sailing experience. Only a few weeks later he left his parents a note of his decision on his bed, climbed down from his balcony with a small bag of clothes and personal belongings, and ran to Chan’s ship. They were off by dawn.

Now he knelt on the deck of the Yellow Wood, scrubbing as he had every other day with no sign of adventure in any direction. They finished and were putting stuff away as Changbin, the quartermaster and Chan’s second in command, inspected their work. Changbin’s sharp eyes were framed with a head of hair as black as moonless night. He had thirteen hooped earrings in his left ear in a spectrum of colors from silver to gold. On his left arm was an impressive sleeve tattoo which began at his shoulder with the head of a kraken. Down his arms were the fine details of the monster’s tentacles with golden clasps which ended just below the knuckles of each of his five fingers. It was the most complex piece of body art Jeongin had ever seen but it made the quartermaster stand out to him immediately when they took off.

“Not bad,” Changbin said as he used his big toe to feel the smoothness of the deck boards. “Woojin’s got dinner ready.” Changbin stayed by the wheel to keep watch as the others went below deck.

The Yellow Wood at first seemed unimpressive to Jeongin when he came on board but Captain Chan introduced her as if she were her own continent. The sloop-of-war was small, even in comparison to others of its class; and had only four cannons, two on each side, but Jeongin learned early that they were only meant to cripple ships and not sink them. Chan had managed to steal her from a naval dock after getting the watchmen drunk, tying them up, and leaving them on the dock as he sailed off with howls of laughter. Jeongin went down to get his dinner and the lack of any cooking made Jeongin sigh. Woojin, the designated cook, had run out of fresh supplies a few days ago and dinner would consist of salt beef and hardtack. He was happy to see that they still had some dried fruit to enjoy but that would likely not last the day. When it finally was his turn, three dried cherries were placed it his palm, each barely the size of his pinkie nail. He sighed and went to the lowest deck so he could eat in his bed. The Yellow Wood had three decks; a top, a middle, and a bottom; and only leaked a little during rough weather. Jeongin’s hammock, which had been hastily tied at the back of the sleeping quarters for his sudden arrival, was a far cry from his feather bed back home and the violent swinging it would sometimes do still woke him up often. Many of the other crew slept as if the sea devils themselves couldn’t wake them, their heads often rocking from side to side without even a break in their snores. But when Captain Chan’s faint voice would be heard two decks above, they would shoot awake and quickly get themselves ready.

Many of the crew paid him little attention for the first few weeks, likely to see if he would break under the daily routine. He knew many of them were certain he would fail; and for the first week he was pretty sure they were right. But despite the rope burns, simple food, and relentless sun; Jeongin found himself becoming comfortable and familiar.

As he ate he watched his fellow deck scrubbers settle around a small table they kept rooted with their feet and pulled out their dice and cups. Games were the favored pastime when the liquor rations were done for the day and while most of the crew liked dice, Jeongin learned that Captain Chan, Quartermaster Changbin, and Sailing Master Jisung enjoyed playing cards in Captain Chan’s cabin. Jeongin held his food in one hand and his tankard of beer in the other as he watched Hyunjin, Felix, and Seungmin began to play. He couldn’t quite understand the rules but it had something to do with changing dice totals and figuring out who was lying. It didn’t make much sense to him but he enjoyed watching it. It was some of the only times he saw smiles on the ship. The crew, while an efficient group as a whole, had its own smaller groups of friends that hung out with each other, typically by age and when they joined. He often looked at Seungmin or Felix for possible friendship, being they were so close in age, but he heard that Seungmin had been on ships since he was ten years old and Felix had worked on a naval boat at the age of eight. They were months older but years ahead. Sometimes he missed home; especially when he bit into the tough salt beef.

Up above, laughter broke out and he could hear the scuff of hasty footsteps rushing across the deck. It caught everyone’s attention and the dice was set aside to go top deck and see what the commotion was. Jeongin placed his tack and remaining salt beef under his pillow, lest someone steal it again, and went up with them. When he felt the wind rush into his hair he heard the loud laughter of Captain Chan from the wheel as some of the crew were running in a group, one of them armed with a musket. It took a moment for Jeongin to realize they were all looking up and he saw a large bird flying amongst the sails. It was keeping pace with the ship easily and it swooped down just above Jeongin’s head. He ducked and the bird passed so close he felt the force of its momentum in his hair. The scent of tobacco filled his nostrils as he saw Captain Chan smirking with his custom peach wood pipe sitting between his lips.

“I got it, I got it,” said the lead Gunner Minho as he aimed after the bird with mounting frustration. It was an albatross, Jeongin could see, and it was big enough to make a nice stew for the crew.

“You’re not a good shot, Minho,” Captain Chan called out, smoke billowing out from between his teeth.

“I said I got it,” Minho grunted.

“You better get it first time, I’m pretty sure you’ll scare it off if you miss,” Captain Chan chuckled. He puffed on his pipe before he looked down at Jeongin. “You ever fire a gun before?” Jeongin looked up to the bird and back to Chan.

“I got some training back home. Most boys did.” Chan laughed and leapt down from his spot to grab the musket from Minho’s hands.

“Hey!” Minho protested as Chan put the weapon into Jeongin’s hands.

“I’ve seen you shoot, stick to the cannons.” With a hard smack on the back, Chan smiled and scaled the steps back to the wheel. “I want some stew tonight!” he called out and settled back down in his chair. Jeongin looked at the musket. It was an old flintlock that had seen a great deal of use over its life. The wood needed oiling and there were a few specks of rust along the exposed metal but it was loaded and felt comfortable in his hands. He ignored the eyes on him as he honed in on the albatross. It was a big one, probably close to twenty pounds in weight. The bird flew, as it had before, in a swooping motion just over his head before he returned up amongst the sails. He watched as he climbed the stairs up to the wheel and settled himself on the railing so he had a few of the entire layout of sails and waited. The albatross made its usual pattern amongst the sails before swooping down once more, this time over the head of the red faced Minho. Jeongin raised the musket and made a few predictive placements to see if it followed the same pattern. It did and when it reached his third predictive spot, he fired. The sound of the musket cracked over the ship and smoke quickly clouded around him as the gunpowder went off. For a brief second he couldn’t see thanks to the wind but he saw the falling bird just as he heard Captain Chan let out a whoop of celebration. The albatross fell amongst the ropes before it landed hard on the deck with a single hard thud. He heard the crew roar with approval and several of them went over to inspect the bird. He’d shot it just below the head, a perfect hit. The adrenaline of the moment washed over him and Jeongin’s arms suddenly felt weak and they shook as he put the musket down. “You’ve got a good eye,” said Captain Chan.

“Thank you,” Jeongin said in response.

“I’ve been hoping to find some sort of sharpshooter. Only other decent shots on this boat are Changbin and I.” Chan puffed on his pipe and seemed to analyze Jeongin before he gave a satisfied smile. “You’ll be my sharpshooter.”

“Thank you…” Jeongin said as the adrenaline and excitement seemed to drain his body of all remaining energy.

From then on, Jeongin was perched in the bird nest with the musket and several loads of powder and shot. It was nice to be away from the pushing and shoving of below deck but the days were long, lonesome, and the sun got all the time it wanted to rain down on him without a hint of shade. He made note to get a hat the next time they reached shore.

When he got down to the bunks after his shift in the nest, he saw Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Felix playing dice in their usual spot. He made to walk past them to his bunk but he felt a hand grab him by the waist of his shirt to stop him.

“You got dice?” Felix asked in his uniquely deep voice. The question almost didn’t make sense to him but he shook his head after a few awkward seconds.

“I got spares,” said Seungmin and he pulled out five dice from the small pouch he kept on his belt.

“You know how to play?” Hyunjin asked.

“A little,” said Jeongin as he sat down between Seungmin and Felix.

“When we make port, you can get some dice,” said Seungmin. Jeongin allowed himself a small smile.

“Alright.”

It turned out he wouldn’t have to wait long as only a week after his promotion, news broke out that they were to land at the nearby port of Cle. Where his first experience on a pirate ship had been a blur of boredom, pain, and routine; his first experience in a pirate town was an overwhelming assault of sensations. Everywhere was laced with the scent of tobacco, spices, and salt. They set up just off shore as there was no formal dock to stay at and they rowed ashore. The seaside town seemed to have been built out of the ruins of a previous one as makeshift shacks surrounded the much older and weather worn buildings.

“Alright,” said Captain Chan once they were ashore with only a few men back on the boat to keep watch. “We’ll be here about a week. But be ready when we are heading out. I’m going to find us a prize.” There were a few cheers before they scattered. Jeongin, unsure of what to do, followed his three friends into town when they said they were headed right to the tavern. There were hundreds of people and Jeongin had never seen such a collection of troublemakers and rabble-rousers in one spot. Gambling, an illegal act, was openly played on the streets by equally filthy and foul mouthed men and women. He saw a few women, Hyunjin called them _ladies of the night_ , who kept blades tied beneath their large petticoats and small pistols tucked into their blouses. Men brawled on the street with such frequency that they had to step around a few tousling men several times between the shore and the tavern. Between the brawlers, ladies of the night, gamblers, and troublemakers were entire troupes of musicians and dancers. Fiddles, mandolins, fifes, and drums filled the air with raucous cheers and songs with an intensity that Jeongin had never experienced before.

The tavern, known only as The Duck, was even more rowdy than the streets. Every table was packed with no less than six people and most had various games going around their drinks. A large piano was sat on one side of the tavern with a tall man playing cheerfully. The top of the piano had a long line of empty tankards. It was hot, sweaty, and smelled of something Jeongin would later learn was the scent of stale beer and sex. Jeongin did what Hyunjin had taught him before coming ashore and stored his coin purse, filled with all the money he’d taken from home, inside his shirt to keep thieving hands from it. Soon he found himself crammed into a corner table with the three of them with fresh ale in front of him. Almost immediately the women approached with gentle words and even gentler touches.

“Where did four strapping young men like you come from?” asked one of the women, her petticoat almost obnoxiously billowy as she found a seat in Hyunjin’s lap. One of the ladies played with a lock of Jeongin’s hair and it almost tickled him.

“From Miroh,” said Seungmin.

“Not a lot of men from Miroh come through Cle,” said the woman playing with Jeongin’s hair. Their perfume was heavy with the scent of cloves and ginger and it was almost overpowering to him.

“You two look like some boys just out of the cradle,” said a woman with red hair and motioned to Felix and Jeongin. Felix didn’t seem interested and simply continued to drink while Jeongin hoped the heat and alcohol had already flushed his face red.

“You’re part of Captain Chan’s crew, aren’t you?” asked the woman playing with Jeongin’s hair.

“Yeah,” said Hyunjin.

“Where is he? I hear he likes to have fun,” said the red haired woman.

“Alright, ladies, off you go.” The voice of Changbin cut through the atmosphere like a knife. A hand fell on the shoulder of the woman playing with Jeongin’s hair and Jeongin saw the points of the kraken’s tentacles on Changbin’s knuckles.

“Are you with them?” asked the red haired woman with her sultry voice emphasized even more.

“Up we go, ladies, let’s go. Move along,” Changbin said without bothering to answer the question. The ladies pouted and got up. The woman that played with Jeongin’s hair let a finger run along the definition of his jawbone before she walked away.

“Let us know when you’re free. We’d love to know you more,” she said and gave a wink before vanishing into the crowd. Changbin watched them leave before he leaned over the table and looked at all four of them, one at a time.

“You lose your purse, it’s on you,” he said coldly and simply.

“We know, Binnie,” said Hyunjin. Changbin didn’t seem amused and his eyes glared at him from behind his locks of raven black hair. The stare down was cut by the sound of a loud argument, more intense than the others, broke out at the other end of the tavern and everyone looked over to see two men screaming at each other in drunken slurs. Between them was a beautiful young woman in a simple gown and it seemed the men were fighting over her. The first fist was thrown and they soon both crashed through the table, drinks and cards flying in all directions from the impact. The bartender gave a half interested yell for them to take it outside but it fell on deaf ears as it had every time before. But instead of the usual grunts and shouts after a few seconds, there came a sickening howl from one of the men which drew fresh attention to the scene. Jeongin saw one of the men roll away and get to his knees, the front of his shirt was spotted with red and growing fast. In the other man’s hand was a knife, shining with blood in the lantern light.

“Hey!” the bartender shouted, this time with his full attention. He jumped over the bar but the man who had been stabbed reached down, grabbed his pistol, and aimed it at the man with the knife. For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze to Jeongin. He both of the men’s eyes. He saw the trigger pulled and the hammer drop. For the slightest of moments, he thought the gun misfired, but there suddenly was a flash of light, a pluming of white smoke, and the deafening crack of a gunshot. The lead ball punched clean through the man with the knife’s throat and blood sprayed out violently. Some of the people shouted, not out of fear but from the suddenness of it, and Jeongin watched as the man with the knife dropped his weapon and fell to the ground, his free hand clutching at his throat. It had struck just in the neck, like the albatross, but where the albatross had gone lifeless and become a hearty stew for the crew the next day, the man kicked and squirmed as he tried to gasp for air but only wet bloody choking sounds emerged. No one moved as blood pooled on the floor and the man’s movements became weaker and weaker. Only thirty seconds passed between the first sounds of the fight and the dying man’s final gasp. The bartender grabbed the man with the pistol and dragged him outside. A few others dragged out the dead body and life gradually returned to the tavern. Wihtout saying anything, Jeongin stood up and found his way to the back door.

The fresh air helped with the suffocating sensation but it did nothing for the nausea. His stomach felt like it was doing flips and he steadied himself against the wall before he violently vomited. It took three good heaves before his stomach settled. His mouth tasted metallic, acidic, with faint hints of previously consumed beer. He dry heaved a few more times but had nothing left to give as he forced himself to balance on his own feet. It was then he realized that a couple, only a few feet away, didn’t seem to pay him any mind as the man fucked her against the tavern wall. His mind a maelstrom of thoughts, Jeongin stumbled away from the scene and made to head to the ship when he heard the door open and a familiar hand with kraken tentacles pull him close.

“They say it’s the fear leaving your body,” Changbin said and Jeongin looked at the pool of vomit. “This way.” Jeongin felt himself get pulled away from the tavern and he followed Changbin.

They went into the trees a bit and there was a small stream which ran out into the sea. A ways through the trees was a clearing with a large rock and Changbin began to climb it. Jeongin followed with shaking arms and when they got to the top he could overlook the whole clearing as well as see the ocean over the trees. Changbin kicked aside a rock about the size of a human skull and revealed a small opening. Jeongin watched as Changbin reached inside and pulled out a half drank bottle of rum. He uncorked it, gave a swig, and handed it to Jeongin. He took it and took a small sip. When his stomach didn’t show signs of protest, he took a heavier swig and winced from the bite of the liquor.

“Not what you thought it’d be?” Changbin asked as he sat down next to him.

“I…I don’t know.”

“It gets easier.” Changbin paused. “But the question is if you want it to get easier. Because if you stay with us, it will whether you like it or not.” Jeongin couldn’t give an answer and only took another drink. Changbin took the bottle and had his own. “What did you do back home?” It took Jeongin off guard.

“My dad was a lawyer. Wanted me to be like him. Mom…I don’t know what mom wanted. She always fussed about my appearance and…and made sure I didn’t get hurt playing with the other kids. Everything was a lesson and everything had a teacher or mentor. It was like everyone handled me like a piece of glass. I hated it.”

“That when you met Chan?”

“I saw him in the village. It was the first time I was with someone who wasn’t lecturing me. I…I loved it. My father always ranted about pirates when the news would break out of another attack and he’d go off about how ‘uncivilized’ it was. It just…just screamed ‘freedom’ and I wanted it.” Neither of them spoke for a few minutes and simply passed the bottle back and forth between them. The rum began to kick in when Jeongin felt Changbin’s tattooed hand pat him on the head.

“The first few months are always the most difficult, especially if you’re from…where you’re from. I will say you aren’t being made to stay. Next time we’re in Miroh, we can drop you off. But I promise you, it gets easier and it gets better.”

“Thanks…” Jeongin whispered and let his head fall to his chest. He sighed and felt the rock.

“You alright?” Changbin asked.

“This is strong rum,” Jeongin said and gave a small laugh. He was relieved to hear Changbin laugh in return.

“Yes it is. Navy are a bunch of bastards but they make a damn good drink.” They continued to drink and watch the stars, lying on the large rock. When the moon began to dip towards the horizon, the drink finally pulled Jeongin into the darkness of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When Jeongin awoke, the sun had risen and been shining on him for some time. The skin of his face was tight but not too burnt as he sat up only to become conscious of the terrible ache in his head. He groaned as he dug the palm of his hand into his eye to try and mask the throbbing. The overwhelming nausea soon followed.

“You’re up.” Changbin’s voice was behind him and he turned to see the quartermaster pissing off the end of the large rock, back facing him. At some point Changbin’s shirt had been shed and he was bare from the waist up. He was a lean man with tight lean muscles but they were strong. None could climb the ropes faster than the quartermaster.

“Did we finish the rum?” Jeongin asked with another moan as his stomach seemed to swell inside him.

“It’s just what you expect from the navy. It fucks you up the quickest and always overstay its welcome.” Jeongin groaned and made his way to his feet. When Changbin finished he tucked himself away and gave Jeongin a firm slap on the belly. As if hitting a full bladder, Jeongin lurched over and puked over the side of the rock, joining Changbin’s pool of piss below. As Jeongin lurched a second time, Changbin laughed. “That’s the sickness leaving you.” When Jeongin finished he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

“I thought it was the fear,” he said, eyes watered and head still pounding horribly.

“It’s a lot of things. But you almost always feel better after so there’s that.” Changbin grabbed his shirt and threw it over his shoulder. “Come on. I need beer and food.”

“Beer?” Jeongin asked with a pained look.

“It’s a cycle. Nothing better to take that pain away. Unless you’re gonna go talk to those creepy witches and wizards who play with plants.” Jeongin had no interest in meeting with the creepy people of the forest so he followed Changbin back to the Duck and quaffed a few beers while eating sizzling bacon, pickled eggs, and roasted chicken. As he ate, Jeongin couldn’t help but notice the significantly lower numbers of friendly women. One approached them, dark circles under her eyes with her state of health highly in question, and seemed allured by the shirtless Changbin. He ignored her and when she made a half-drunken attempt to shift her woos onto Jeongin Changbin yelled at her to leave them alone. The beer helped ease Jeongin’s headache and he watched as the woman stumbled out of the bar, her dress dirty and pocked with holes.

“Is she alright?” he asked.

“Not our problem.”

“She doesn’t look well.”

“Lots of them aren’t well. Probably riddled with all sorts of shit. You’re gonna be approached a lot while you’re at port,” Changbin said, “Most of them only see coin purses with cocks.” Jeongin looked back to the woman but she was gone. “You ever been with a woman?” Jeongin looked back at him.

“Y-yeah. Of course.” The awkward answer was punctuated by Changbin smirking and looking him right in the eyes. Jeongin quivered under the sharp eyes. “No…”

“Well, don’t be telling any of the others. Especially the Captain or your crewmates. They’ll have you rooted in some back alley wench before the hours up and you’ll be learning the fine life of dick itch.”

“Oh…”

“At least wait until we’re in a better port with better options. Cle doesn’t have the diamonds and sapphires. If you’re lucky you’ll find a piece of sea glass but most of it is just rough sand.”

“You worry about all of our dicks?” Jeongin asked, the beer making him courageous and he was happy to see Changbin burst into laughter.

“No. Just the youngest. You look like you need as much advice as you can get right now. I’m telling you, it’s better to wait for the right one no matter what the others tell you.”

“You know from experience?”

“I’ve experienced the world, Jeongin. What do you think?” Before Jeongin could answer, Changbin got up and drained the rest of his beer. “Finish up.”

“Where are we going?” Jeongin asked before he tried to chug.

“We gotta get you some equipment.”

“Equipment?” Jeongin asked as he wiped some of the beer that spilled down his chin and stained his shirt and chest.

“What are you gonna do on a raid? Wave your hands at them to surrender?”

They left the Duck and headed down towards the trading area where a crude market had been set up. Jeongin saw stalls with just about every provision and luxury he could imagine. One of the stalls was selling fine silks likely raided from a merchant ship from the east. Another was selling jewelry and precious stones. One of the stalls caught Jeongin’s attention. There were fine tapestries and various pieces of beautiful craftsmanship but what truly caught Jeongin’s eye was the woman selling them. Her skin was as dark as coffee and her head was clean shaven. She howled out her wares as loud as any of the others and behind her was a tall man with an equally dark complexion, a broadsword and pistol tucked into his dark violet sash. They walked past but Changbin noticed Jeongin couldn’t look away.

“Never seen an African before?” Jeongin shook his head. “Well, don’t stare. They don’t like when people look at them for too long.”

“Do you know them?”

“Name’s Ode. The guy with her is her brother, Ekon. Captain Ernst seized a slave ship and the slaves that were onboard joined his crew for a while. She and Ekon left the crew after a few years and set up shop on Cle. They’ve been here I think three years now.” Changbin paused and seemed to contemplate for a few moments before he nodded. “We’ll get back to them. We gotta get you equipped.”

They reached the outskirts of the market to see a series of wooden shacks connected by dirt paths. Several hired men hung around, their weapons on obvious display to dissuade any potential risk takers. As they approached, the hired men seemed to recognize Changbin and stood down.

“Hey, Franz!” he shouted and then crossed his arms as he waited. A few moments passed with nothing before one of the shack doors burst open and out stumbled a small man with a head of hair so blonde it almost seemed white in the sunlight. His face was flushed red and his sharp blue eyes were glassed over.

“Whaaaaaat?” the blonde man slurred out before he fell flat on his face.

“Devil’s Teeth…” Changbin hissed under his breath and walked over to the man. “Franz, get up.” Jeongin followed and watched as Franz was motionless. If he hadn’t known better he would have thought the man was dead but suddenly Franz leapt with surprising strength from his arms and rolled forward onto his feet before he stumbled to a standstill in front of Changbin. Even from a foot behind Changbin, Jeongin could smell the overwhelming stench of liquor.

“Hello, Bin.”

“Hello, Franz. Brandy shipment?”

“Yes, sir. Celebrate while you can.” Franz stumbled forward but Changbin put a hand on the man’s chest to steady him.

“We got a new kid. Needs some stuff. You got anything?” Franz looked around.

“Where is he?” Changbin sighed and stepped aside. Franz looked directly at Jeongin. The eye contact was longer htan Jeongin was accustomed to and it made him uncomfortable. Franz was younger, likely in his mid-twenties, and had a very boyish look about him but his eyes were almost as sharp as Changbin’s. “I’ve got something perfect for him.” They watched as Franz made his way back into his shack and came out a few seconds later with a child’s sling for throwing rocks. Franz laughed before Changbin gave him a sharp smack across the back of the head. “Ow!”

“Don’t be a prick.” The two looked at each other and stared down for a few moments before Franz backed down and mumbled for them to follow him. The inside of the shack was littered with brandy bottles and stank of tobacco and sweat. The wall had lines of swords, pistols, and muskets that made almost a complete circle.

“Don’t touch any of those,” Franz muttered as he bent down and heaved open a trapdoor with surprising ease. The surprising strength of strangers was becoming increasingly less surprising to Jeongin. Despite his shaking feet, Franz made his way down the ladder without any problems and Changbin and Jeongin followed. The impressive display in Franz’ shack was nothing in comparison to the cellar. Boxes of firearms were stacked neatly in rows and each box was close to spilling over with surplus weaponry. “Don’t touch those,” Franz said and pointed to the numerous barrels which lined the back of the cellar. “Black powder.”

“You keep black powder?” Jeongin asked in shock.

“I make it.”

“He needs a pistol and a blade,” said Changbin. Franz sighed and walked to one of the boxes and began to rummage around. No one spoke as Franz sorted through the immense number of weapons across several large boxes before he finally settled on one. It was certainly an old pistol but it was seemingly well maintained. The dark walnut wood was well oiled and there was no signs of rust on the metal. The handle of the pistol had a steel cap on it, likely for bashing.

“Thank-,” Jeongin started but Franz moved on to a box of loose blades. Jeongin was certain the man would cut himself with how he rummaged through the box but he pulled out a simple cutlass, seemed satisfied, and found a sheath for it. It was shoved into Jeongin’s hands as well.

“Needs some oil and stoning but it’s fine,” said Franz before he turned to Changbin. “Happy?”

“Very,” Changbin answered with a small smile and turned on his heels. “Thanks, Franz!” he called as he pushed Jeongin towards the exit. When they exited the shack, Jeongin caught his bearings.

“Do we have to pay him for this stuff?” Jeongin asked. Changbin smirked.

“Nah. I know the guy. We’re fine.”

“What’s his story?”

“A long and strange one.” Changbin said nothing more on it. They moved back to the market and Changbin led him to Ode’s stall. Ekon looked at them with a furrowed brow but Ode gave a warmer greeting.

“Hello, Chang,” she said. Her voice was rich and deep in an accent that was alien to Jeongin. She was unlike any of the women Jeongin grew up around.

“Morning, Ode.” He looked up at Ekon, who gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement.

“Who is the little one?” Ode asked and looked at him. “He has the face of a child.”

“He’s promising. Just give it time,” said Changbin. Ode leaned in and looked at him. Jeongin wasn’t sure if he should look at her or look away and his eyes kept shifting away only to be forced back to her gaze. “But I was hoping you’d be able to give him his first.” Jeongin looked at Changbin, his heart pounding in his chest only for Ode to give a short laugh.

“Nothing like that, little one. Chang wouldn’t do anything like that to you.” She returned to her stall and collected a pouch of tools. “Where would you like it?”

Jeongin was soon sat on an old wooden stool behind her stall, shirt removed to avoid possible blood staining, and received his first piercing. On the Yellow Wood, it was custom for the first piercing to be chosen by a superior and Changbin decided a simple steel hoop in Jeongin’s right lobe. When it was done, Ode handed Jeongin back his shirt and gave him a smack between his shoulder blades.

“Don’t touch it for a few days. If it gets swelling, soak it in sea water.” Jeongin got to his feet and tried to ignore the gentle throbbing in his ear.

“Th-thanks.”

“Thanks don’t pay for soup.” Changbin slapped a few coins into her palm and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. They left Ode’s stall and were on the way to town and Jeongin saw several rowboats heading out to the anchored ships offshore.

“Are they leaving?” he asked.

“We come and go. Different crews in different seas. If we all were in the same spot there wouldn’t be much loot to go around.” There came a loud shout and they looked to see one of the now identifiable ladies of the night leave a rented shack with a huff in her step and a mostly nude Captain Chan calling after her. He was bare but for his hastily put on, but still unlashed, pants. “Goddamn it…” Changbin muttered and headed towards the scene. As they got closer, the shouting words between Chan and the woman became clearer.

“You didn’t say anything about that before,” Chan called out, each word laced with the trademark charm Jeongin had come to expect from his captain.

“You are insufferable,” the woman shouted back, tucking what was clearly Chan’s coin purse beneath her flowing gown. Changbin ignored her and went right to Chan with Jeongin close behind.

“Again?” Changbin asked incredulously as Chan began to tighten the lashes of his pants, finally covering his groin properly.

“I thought she liked me,” Chan shot back.

“They never like you. When have they ever liked you?” Changbin said and Chan only shrugged back.

“For someone everyone likes, you’re terrible with the women,” came a voice and Jeongin saw a tall brunette. Her hair was cropped to ear length and her eyes were a rich light brown to match her hair. Her fingers were littered with rings and two pistols hung at her belt. She wore pants, something Jeongin had never seen before, and a shirt like any man. Her lack of binding on her breasts made Jeongin’s face flush. Her skin was an olive complexion and only darkened further from long time in the sun.

“You’re just as bad with men,” Chan said as the woman approached. She shrugged and walked up to them.

“You were the only one who gave me problems,” she said back and looked at Jeongin. “New guy?”

“Yeah,” said Chan. “He’s my marksman.”

“He’s adorable,” she said and pinched Jeongin’s cheek hard between her long bony fingers. Chan swatted her hand away and they looked at each other.

“I didn’t know you were ashore,” Chan said.

“I got in this morning. You must’ve been busy.”

“Jealous?” Chan retorted. Changbin put an arm around Jeongin and directed him away.

“Let’s leave them be,” Changbin said once they were out of earshot. “They’ll be at it for a while.”

“Who’s that?” Jeongin asked.

“That’s Bonny Scotch. Captain of the Salt Rock. They’ve been doing that dance for almost two years now.”

“Have they…?”

“No. They could but they won’t. Pride.”

“Pride?”

“Chan loves to be loved and Bonny refuses to fall for his charm. Every girl falls for his charm and it’s like some kinda fight between them. Anyways, it’s not important to us. Unlike him, we’ve got some work to do.”

The rest of the day was spent with Jeongin following Changbin and, because he was one of the few on the crew that could read and write, became Changbin’s helper in preparing supplies for their next trip. By nightfall, the two pieces of parchment that Jeongin had been given were covered in endless lists and minor math. Much of the supplies were bought right then and there but there wasn’t enough time in the day to begin loading them onto the Yellow Wood so Jeongin and Felix were put in charge of watching the chickens for the evening. They remained, each sat on a chicken cage with the animal clucking away inside. Jeongin had his new pistol freshly loaded and was practicing with his sword as Felix watched the people walk by.

“Do you have to do that here?” Felix asked as Jeongin finished a particularly exaggerated flourish.

“What?” Jeongin asked. “That’s how you practice right?” Felix sighed and stood up to draw his own sword.

“You know anything about swords?”

“A bit.”

“Well, you’re holding it wrong and you move with it like a pregnant monkey swinging a rock.” Jeongin’s playful smile dissipated as Felix approached him and quickly put him into an unnatural stance. “You gotta stand like this. It’ll feel weird but it helps in the end.” They continued with Felix giving small tips and they ran a few drills with their blades. Felix said they should train with sticks to prevent injuries but he refused to be mistaken for two boys playing pirate. Felix was the only crew member to be doted on as a child as much as Jeongin was by the locals; and he hated it. For as babyish as his face was thanks to large eyes and a small mouth, his body was hard as stones and he could swing himself up the masts faster than any other on the ship. He proved a very capable swordsman as well from his time in the navy as a boy and when they stopped training for the night, Jeongin had a better grasping on the sword than when he started. He continued to practice by himself while Felix sat back down and uncorked his rum bottle.

The evening passed slowly and they could hear the revelry from inside the tavern even from the small storage hut that they guarded. Felix enjoyed his rum and his typically stern and uninterested demeanor gave way to more smiles and laughter. Felix, unlike the other crew members, wore the exact same thing every day without variation. He kept his pistol and his sword, an older naval spadroon, on his belt and wore black pants, black knee high boots, and a loose faded red shirt. Around his neck he tied a piece of black cloth into a makeshift cravat to protect his neck. He only had a single earring in his left ear and wore no rings or bracelets. It was plain, simple, and efficient. A part of Jeongin was fascinated at such from a crew member. The likeliness that it was from Felix’s time in the navy crept across Jeongin’s mind. But the typically stone-faced Felix was loosened by the rum and his eyes smiled as much as his mouth did.

“I’m hungry,” Felix finally said. “Go get something for us.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jeongin asked.

“I’m not leaving the supplies in the baby’s hands.”

“Shut up,” Jeongin said with a laugh before he got up. “I don’t have any money.”

“Well, go get some.”

“Get some?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. Get creative. Gotta learn how to grease your fingers somehow.” So, Jeongin departed and found himself standing in the Duck, even more uproarious than it had been the night before, and looked around anxiously. He saw numerous members of his own crew but none of the ones he was familiar with.

“You lost?” a familiar voice asked behind him and he turned to see Bonny Scotch standing in the door behind him. He quickly got out of the way with a stammered apology and she just laughed. He watched her go past and give a firm slap on the back to one of the hunched over patrons at a table. The man didn’t move and his hand was loose on his tankard. With his heart screaming in his chest, Jeongin slowly approached, a faux stumble to his gait, and looked the man over. His coin purse was lashed to his belt but the string was old. With his heart racing, Jeongin tripped over his own foot and crashed into the guy before collapsing to the ground. The scene got a few laughs from surrounding patrons. The man he fell into hadn’t budged an inch and Jeongin could hear the beer fueled snores. He tucked the coin purse in the neck of his shirt where it fell to his stomach and rested above his waistline as he made his way to his feet.

“Lose your owner?” one of the patrons jeered before letting out a belly of laughter, spit and beer specking from his wide maw. Jeongin walked back outside and felt the night air cool his sweaty face. His heart still pounded but not with fear, but elation. A smile couldn’t help but break out over his face and he made his way to the night market where food was being cooked. He pulled out the man’s purse and saw there was an assortment of gold and silver coins inside, more than enough for what he and Felix were hoping to enjoy. He got two seagull pies and another bottle of rum before he made his way back to Felix.

The sight of the pies made Felix’s face light up and he didn’t wait for Jeongin to reach him before he grabbed at one of the pies. They cracked open the rum, their previous bottle finally empty, and sat down to enjoy. Felix lit his pipe and they shared the tobacco as they ate. The meat was stringy, overcooked, and greasy but there was enough gravy and salt in it to make up the difference. The crust was hard but satisfying and Jeongin found himself devouring the entire thing, something his mother likely would have abhorred. The thought of his mother seeing him as he was in that moment made Jeongin laugh. Her precious little gentleman half-drunk after picking his first pocket with a diet consisting of meat pie, roasted meat, grilled meat, tobacco, and increasingly higher portions of liquor. Jeongin managed to finish before Felix, likely due to the fact that Felix’s highly inebriated state made his movements sloppy and imprecise. With no utensils to use, Felix had resorted to poking out a hole in the top of the pie and spooning out the contents with pie crust and, later, his fingers. The front of his shirt was stained with gull gravy and rum while his cheeks were flushed from the alcohol but Jeongin couldn’t help but notice the sparkling smile of Felix’s eyes. It made him smile.

While Felix continued to make a mess of himself, Jeongin noticed a pair of figures standing a short distance away by one of the many shacks that littered the waterfront. They seemed to be keeping to themselves with their gaze lingering uncomfortably long on the supplies they were guarding. The longer they remained and the longer they stared made Jeongin increasingly nervous, despite the alcohol’s euphoric buzz. Once Felix was done with his pie and sucking his fingers clean of gravy, Jeongin nudged him in the ribs.

“Wha?” Felix slurred before Jeongin motioned towards the two men. Felix looked and noticed them. “They been there long?”

“Probably since I got back.” Felix grabbed the rum bottle, took a swig, and stood up to his wobbly feet.

“Eyyyyy, fuck faces!” he howled out and Jeongin jumped in surprise at the suddenness of Felix’s shout. Neither of the figures moved for a few moments. Jeongin almost wondered if they were optical illusions and it was only when they began to walk over that he realized they were far too real. “By ready,” Felix said, his voice still thick with alcohol but with a more focused tone to it. The two figures approached, their faces becoming clear in the firelight. One was grizzled and middle-aged while the other was young and strong. Jeongin noticed the swords and pistols at their sides.

“What was that?” asked the grizzled man, his voice raspy from tobacco and whiskey.

“He’s a pretty one, Tad,” said the younger one while looking at Felix. “Might be the brothel’s missing a girl.” The grizzled man didn’t seem amused at the younger man’s statement. Felix took another swig of his rum and refused to break eye contact with the grizzled man.

“What you guarding?” the grizzled man asked. Felix didn’t move. The young man put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Gonna answer, brothel boy?” Suddenly, Felix spit a spray of fine liquid and the smell in the air told Jeongin it was rum. The spray went right into both men’s eyes and they recoiled in pain. Before Jeongin could register, Felix pulled out his sword and ran the grizzled man clean through the stomach. The grizzled man let out a horrible sound as his body reflexively sucked as much air into its lungs as it could. Jeongin watched as Felix kicked the grizzled man off the blade, sending him to the ground, before he turned to the younger man. The younger man had wiped his eyes of the spray and saw Felix point his blade at him. “Fucking kid…” the younger man hissed before Felix jabbed the blade tip forward. A terrible slash cut open the younger man’s cheek, exposing his teeth beneath. The younger man fell to the ground by his companion and Felix kicked both of them in the face, rendering them both motionless. Jeongin struggled to comprehend what he saw before Felix turned to him.

“Could you find some rope for me?” he asked, his slur almost completely gone.

“Uh…sure. Y-yeah, I can do that.” Felix gave a small smile.

“Good.”


End file.
